The Myth of the Perfect Time: Why Waiting Is Killing Your Business

The Myth of the Perfect Time: Why Waiting Is Killing Your Business

By Darlene M. Ziebell

"Successful business owners don’t wait for the perfect time. They make the time they have work perfectly for them."

Business owners are no strangers to pressure. Every decision feels like it could make or break the company—from when to launch a new service to whether it’s the right time to scale. So, what do many do? They wait.

They wait for the market to stabilize.
They wait for the economy to improve.
They wait for the perfect team member.
They wait for the stars to align.

And while they wait, the business stalls—or worse, starts to crumble.

Here’s the truth: there is no perfect time. The idea that one golden moment will arrive where risk disappears and everything will fall into place is a myth—and one that’s quietly sabotaging your growth.

Let’s break it down.

The Waiting Game is a Risk in Disguise

Waiting feels safe. It gives the illusion of being smart, strategic, and cautious. But in reality, waiting often masks fear.

Business owners tell themselves:

• “I’ll launch once I perfect my website.”

• “We’ll hire once we’re more stable.”

• “I’ll start marketing once I have more followers.”

These are not strategic delays—they’re comfort-zone delays. And comfort zones are where businesses go to die slowly.

While you're standing still, your competition is moving. They're imperfectly executing, gaining customers, making adjustments, and learning in real time.

You? You’re watching, planning, and missing momentum.

Timing Isn’t Everything—Execution Is

Let me be clear: timing matters—but not the way most people think. The most successful business owners I’ve worked with weren’t magicians who knew the future. They weren’t waiting around for the ideal moment. They created traction through movement.

It’s not about when—it’s about what you do consistently.

Take two identical business owners:

• Owner A is waiting for the perfect month to launch her new service.

• Owner B launches now, knowing her message might change in 30 days based on feedback.

Guess who wins?

Owner B may not get everything right the first time, but she learns fast. She engages her audience. She builds momentum. And most importantly—she builds confidence through action.

Owner A is still tweaking.

How the “Perfect Time” Myth Shows Up in Business

Here are the most common scenarios I see:

1. “Now’s not the right time to hire.”

This is often code for: “I’m afraid to trust someone else with my business.”

Yes, hiring can be risky. But wearing every hat leads to burnout. If you’re spending your time on tasks that someone else could do at 70% of your ability, you’re capping your own growth.

2. “Let’s hold off on the marketing budget until we see more leads.”

This logic is backward. You don’t get leads then market—you market to get leads. Waiting here is like standing in front of an empty fireplace asking for heat before adding wood.

3. “I’ll invest in strategy later—right now we need sales.”

This is the equivalent of fixing a leak with duct tape instead of replacing the pipe. No strategy? No long-term growth. Sales may temporarily go up, but without direction, they’ll crash again—and you’ll be back to square one.

The Cost of Waiting

Let’s look at what it’s really costing you:

• Lost Revenue: Every week you delay launching a service, creating a new offer, or fixing your marketing message, you're losing potential income.

• Competitor Advantage: Your competition isn’t waiting. They’re capturing market share while you hold back.

• Team Frustration: Teams thrive on momentum. If they sense hesitation or indecision, morale drops.

• Your Confidence: Procrastination kills confidence. You start doubting your instincts—and when that happens, leadership suffers.

The Real Reason Behind the Delay? Fear.

Most waiting isn’t strategic—it’s emotional. It's fear disguised as logic.

Fear of failing.
Fear of wasting money.
Fear of making the wrong choice.
Fear of what people will say.

I get it. I’ve been there. But here’s the truth: failure is not the enemy of success—waiting is.

Every business I’ve built to 7 and 8 figures required decisions that weren’t 100% certain. Some of my best moves came from uncomfortable action—not comfort.

There’s risk in moving forward, yes. But there’s a bigger risk in doing nothing.

What to Do Instead: Make Smart, Imperfect Moves

So, what should you do if you’re stuck waiting?

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Ask, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

And be honest. Most of the time, the worst-case scenario is manageable. You won’t lose the business by launching a service that doesn’t work—you’ll just refine it.

2. Take the smallest possible action.

You don’t have to leap off a cliff. You can take one step forward. Start the campaign. Hire the contractor part-time. Test the message with a small group. Move with purpose.

3. Build a decision deadline.

Waiting thrives in open timelines. Set a decision date and stick to it. No more “maybe next quarter.” Pick a date and go.

4. Surround yourself with bold thinkers.

Fear is contagious. But so is courage. You need advisors, mentors, or peers who move fast, think big, and challenge you to step up.

Real Success Stories Come from Imperfect Timing

One client of mine was waiting to launch her consulting business because she felt her website wasn’t “ready.” She had all the credentials, all the experience—but she let the need for perfection delay her.

We shifted her mindset. I told her, “You don’t need a website to start conversations. You need conversations to start a business.”

She took action, reached out to five leads, landed her first client within two weeks—and the website followed after revenue started rolling in.

Another business owner was waiting to hire a salesperson. She was overwhelmed, dropping leads, and missing revenue. But she was scared—what if the hire didn’t work out?

We created a simple onboarding process, wrote a clear sales script, and hired a commission-based rep. Within 90 days, that rep had tripled her monthly sales.

None of these were perfectly timed. They were just done.

Your Business Needs You to Move—Now

This isn’t about being reckless. I don’t advocate jumping into the deep end without strategy. But strategy without action is just theory. What your business needs most is momentum.

If you’re always preparing, you’ll never be producing.
If you’re always tweaking, you’ll never be testing.
If you’re always waiting, you’ll never be winning.

Stop chasing the perfect time. Start making time work for you.

Ready to Move Forward?

I help business owners who are stuck in indecision finally break through and grow. If you're tired of circling the same decision, let’s talk. Whether you're launching, scaling, or restructuring—I bring more than 30 years of experience building businesses from the ground up to the 7 and 8 figure mark.

Let’s stop waiting. Let’s start building.

👉 Schedule a strategy call with me today
📩 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.DarleneZiebell.com